Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy got the right sense of where we are at. I will not accept the amendment but I will not delay the House either. Section 5 of the Bill puts in place the appropriate provision for the appointment an interim chair. The Deputies will know from our earlier discussions that there is a valid reason for that to happen and in fairness, most Deputies agree. In appointing a deputy chair, a deputy chair cannot carry out the functions of a chairperson or discharge his or her functions without these changes actually being made. The appointment of an interim chair will be of a serving or former civil servant under this and a term of office of 12 months is considered appropriate.

It is not envisaged that the provision to reappoint an interim chair will be utilised but it is in as a fail-safe mechanism. We need to advertise and then go and get the right person. We need to do that properly, which we will, in order to get someone with the appropriate skills and expertise to take that job on. It is appropriate that we provide for the reappointment of an interim chair for a second or subsequent term in order to ensure that should there be any reason for delay in appointing a permanent chair, the existing interim chair who will at that stage have her feet well under the desk and be dealing with it, could carry on. We need to allow for contingency in that space. That is a sensible and responsible thing to do. Because we will be prioritising the appointment of the new board and getting new people in there, I do not envisage we will utilise it. However, we need to keep that by way of a contingency. That is why I am not accepting this amendment.

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